I t's a bit like Danny Boyle, a bit like Guy Ritchie, and a lot more harrowing than you might 💲 expect from a show called Stags. Daniel Cullen's six-part drama tells the story of a group of friends who go 💲 on a wild week-long party in an unnamed South American country to celebrate the upcoming wedding of one of them. 💲 However, things quickly go awry when they are sent to a godforsaken island prison run by two warring siblings.

Stu (Nico 💲 Mirallegro) is the groom, and Ryan (Corin Silva) and Ant (Charlie Cooper) are his best friends. They are the kind 💲 of friends who will help you find a £5,000 engagement ring you buried on a beach, even if they don't 💲 think through the logistics. But will they be able to save Stu from being tortured in prison?

The rest of the 💲 group includes Stu's university friends Hugo (Paul Forman) and Clem (Sophie Lenglinger), his fiancee's father and brother John (Cavan Clerkin) 💲 and Kai (Jojo Macari), and Greg (Asim Chaudhry), whose connection to Stu is unclear. When Kai buys drugs for the 💲 party, Ryan gets caught with them at the airport, and Greg collapses after one of the balloons full of coke 💲 bursts in his stomach. This leads to their arrest and imprisonment.

Once in prison, the group faces chaos and desperation. Clem 💲 disappears, John and Kai set out to find the prison governor, and Hugo is left to care for Greg. Meanwhile, 💲 Stu, Ant, and Ryan search for a doctor. The tension and dread build as the group faces impossible challenges and 💲 difficult choices.

The first episode of Stags is a thrilling and expertly crafted ride, filled with conflict and grounded in a 💲 premise that feels all too real. With stunning visuals and strong performances, it's easy to become invested in the fate 💲 of these foolish but likable characters.